What Is an Engine?

An engine is the primary component of an automobile, which is required to propel the vehicle and is used from cars and motorcycles to airplanes and ships. In this blog post, we’ll explore what an engine is, its types, and its working principles.

The main purpose of the engine is to convert the chemical energy, basically from the fuel, into mechanical energy, which helps in the rotation of wheels.

The term chemical energy used here is for fuels like petrol, diesel, and CNG/LPG, which are widely used in conventional engines as a source of energy. Nowadays electricity is used as a source of energy in electric vehicles to propel the vehicles.

Automobile engines are mainly classified as below.

1.Internal Combustion Engines (IC Engine)

2.External Combustion Engine (EC Engine)

3.Rotary Engines

4.Jet Engines

1.Internal Combustion Engines (IC Engine)

These types of engines are found in cars, motorcycles, and trucks, and the combustion takes place inside the engine cylinders from the fuel (gasoline or diesel) burnt during a power stroke.

This explosion inside the cylinder pushes the piston downwards, which tends to rotate the crankshaft, which generates a mechanical motion.

According to the number of strokes, IC engines are divided into 2 types.

a) 2-Stroke Engines

b) 4-Stroke Engine

2-Stroke Engines

In a 2-stroke engine, power is produced for just two strokes of a piston inside the cylinder and over one full revolution of the crankshaft, which includes suction, compression, power, and exhaust strokes.

These types of engines are lightweight due to their simple design, produce more power and are easier to maintain. However, high fuel consumption and excessive emission levels are the major drawbacks.

Because of the simple design, 2-stroke engines are commonly used in scooters and motorcycles.

4-Stroke Engines

In these types of internal combustion engines, the power cycle completes over two full revolutions of the crankshaft in four strokes of the piston. Since power is produced for every 2 rotations of the crankshaft, four-stroke engines are more fuel efficient, less pollutant, and their engine life is also better than the 2-stroke engines.

4-stroke engines are commonly used in cars, trucks, modern bikes, and marine engines.

2.External Combustion Engine (EC Engine)

In an External combustion engine, the fuel is burned outside the cylinder and heat generated from the combustion process is used to create the steam that powers the engine to operate.

Steam engines are the best example of the most popular external combustion engines, which use coal, wood, or oil to heat water and produce steam, which moves the piston.

External combustion engines are mainly used in ships, submarines, and thermal plants.

3.Rotary Engines:

Rotary or Wankel engines work under the same principle as internal combustion engines, but they don’t have moving parts like pistons, valves, or connecting rods.

These engines directly generate rotary motion when the rotor moves in a unique orbital path within an oval-shaped combustion chamber.

As these engines can reach higher RPMs smoothly, they are used widely in some sports cars and aircraft.

4. Jet Engines:

These engines are mainly used in aircraft and in some high-speed vehicles. Jet engines are also a type of internal combustion engine that generates thrust by expelling fast-moving exhaust gases.

Final Thoughts

Engines are the backbone of modern transportation or the automobile industry. From conventional combustion engines to electric motor-driven vehicles, these powerhouses continue to evolve by the time.

What’s your favorite engine type? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: Freepik